Guided By Voices

August 31, 2013

Written by: Jason Ribadeneyra

Guided By Voices

Why not write about a brilliant band like Guided By Voices? I’m not going to bother with the bands history, facts, or other obnoxious things that only get in our way/bore us. Instead, I’ll stick to what I do best. Personalize the whole thing with weird lies. Really let the ol’ mind/hand connection run wild with ’em. Anything else would be uncivilized.

Let’s start with the truth and go from there.

An old friend of mine slipped me a GBV mix on cassette during a dusty day in the summer of ’97. The first song was “The Official Ironmen Rally Song” and it climbed in my head and just nestled right in there… a perfect fit. I decided right then and there that they would be my next CD purchase so when I stormed into Dynamite Records in Northampton, MA and rudely commanded an employee to guide me to the Guided By Voices section I did it with total grace and purpose. While carefully walking down the aisle towards the G’s my escort suddenly abandoned me to my thoughts and I found myself facing a butt load of different GBV records with nobody to council me. I began to weep openly. There was simply too much to choose from. How could one band have so many albums? It wasn’t right then and it sure as shit aint right now! I quickly walked out, tears streaming down my cheeks.

I didn’t buy any of their stuff that day purely on principle. I went home and popped in my mix tape and listened to it with a shit eatin’ smile, knowing I had proved a point. I slept sound. Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice shame on you.